Ribbon cutting opens regional university anatomy lab

The Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Laboratory (VIAL) opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony in Roanoke at the Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital campus on Friday.

The laboratory is a collaboration of Radford University with the Jefferson College of Health Sciences (JCHS) at Carilion Clinic and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. More than 50 guests and students joined Delegate Joseph Yost '06, M.A. '08 who keynoted the ceremony to open the lab’s 2,800-square foot location.

Representing the founding institutions were Radford University President Penelope W. Kyle, JCHS President Nathaniel L. Bishop and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) President Dr. Cynda Johnson. Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Arner represented Carilion Clinic, an important supporter of the initiative, while Delegate Jim Edwards and representatives of Senator Tim Kaine and Representative Bob Goodlatte were also on-hand.

The joint venture between Radford University, JCHS and VTCSOM will provide a shared space for use by students from the partners' health care-related disciplines. Radford University Doctor of Physical Therapy students (DPT) will begin classes in the lab on May 26. They will be the first of the partner institutions' students to work and study in the lab.

"The Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Lab represents one more advancement through which Radford University is enhancing its students' educational opportunities," said President Kyle. "In this space, our nursing students, doctor of physical therapy students, occupational therapy students and communication sciences and disorders students will explore and understand the complex architecture of the human body. Our students will be educated and inspired here to provide successful healing and therapeutic treatment to those who turn to them for care."

Del. Yost lauded the joint effort by which the partner institutions serve the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

"The ribbon we are cutting today represents what can be accomplished when public and private institutions identify a need and collaborate to better fill that need. In Richmond, this is what we call the Virginia way," said Yost. "VIAL is the first public/private partnership in the Commonwealth to build such a facility."

gallery entry for ribbon cutting ceremony

Click for images from Friday's Virginia Intercollegiate Anatomy Lab ribbon cutting in Roanoke at the Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital campus.

More than 1,000 students from the partner schools will use the laboratory on which construction began last fall.

VIAL will provide immediate benefit to students in Radford University's DPT program, which is also located on the 8th floor of the Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital campus. Radford University DPT students will study and research anatomy and physiology in the VIAL as part of their curriculum.

The laboratory can be utilized to teach large anatomy laboratory sections or multiple small sections. It is equipped with large-screen monitors, a portable, high resolution camera, image and video storage and iPads located permanently in the lab so that required images can be viewed at each station during dissection. Another prime feature of the VIAL is an Anatomage table, which will be connected to large-screen monitors strategically located throughout the classroom. Students will be able to connect their laptops or tablets to the monitors to form localized study groups within the classroom.

The DPT program is one of three doctoral programs offered by the University and it includes instruction, anatomy coursework, clinical laboratory experiences and clinical internships. DPT students also develop original, evidence-based research with faculty to advance physical therapy practice.

May 22, 2015